For a long time I have wanted to travel to Death valley and see the Racetrack. For those who don't know, the Racetrack is a playa or a dry lake bed where the rocks move, leaving "tracks" where they have been. The Racetrack is dry for most of the year. I have never even seen a picture of it wet. Unfortunately when I arrived, it was really wet. The scenic rocks were in the middle of the playa, and walking through the mud was not an option. The mud is thick and builds on itself; within a few steps you would have several inches of mud stuck to your boots and leave damage to the playa for years to come.

Although beautiful in its own way, the photo's were definitely not what I was hoping for. That night I camped on the dry part of the playa and enjoyed it for what it was.

 That night was extremely cold. I had not expected the freezing weather with a 60 degree day. I awoke early the next morning and headed back towards the racetrack area. Once I arrived I could not believe what I saw; the Racetrack had frozen solid over night. I skated out and waited for sunrise.

Once sunrise hit, the true race began. I ran/slid from rock to rock to utilize as much of the gorgeous light as I could.

 It is amazing how far the rocks have gone over time.

I searched the area and found one small rock on the dry playa. This photo is similar to what I would have had without ice. Lucky me, I ended up with the best of both!